Thief, Knave, and Hero
by ElleMZ
Summary: After getting caught trying to pinch some money from the diner, Granny puts Will to work instead of having him arrested. All along the way, Granny gets to know the aloof thief without a heart as he reflects on some of the decisions he's made in his life. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Just having some fictional fun with OUATIW


Will tried to imagine he was a million miles away as he went about his assignment.

Granny called out from behind the counter. "You don't say much, do you?"

"Aren't I already being punished?" He replied grouchily.

The old woman shook her head. "You got a mouth. Too bad you don't have any sense in your head to help you use it."

His voice barely a whisper, he rebutted. "I use my mouth as I please you old hag."

"I heard that!"

Will sighed and muttered some choice words under his breath. He could've swore that Granny heard those as well because she glared at him, but she said nothing. Pushing the mop in some sort of sensible pattern he sulked at his current predictment - being stuck with Granny for the next two weeks to help her close the diner.

It was either that or get arrested.

He had tried to pinch some money from the register last week, hoping to just grab enough to have fun during the weekend. When Ruby was helping a customer, he snatched a few bills and headed back to teh bath room, hoping to make a quiet escape.

Unfortunately for him, Granny was outside with that bloody crossbow in her hand.

"Are you mad?!"

Hearing the commotion, Sheriff Swan came out with her mother Mary Margaret. "Granny, what are you doing?!"

"She's trying to kill me!"

"Will here was trying to steal from me."

"No, I swear I didn't." He lied.

"I can prove it." Granny placed her crossbow down and before he could object she grab his jacket and pulled the money he pinched out of his coat. Still wadded in her hand, she gave it to Emma while keeping her eyes on him. "Perhaps Will can tell you what is so special about that cash."

Emma uncrumpled the bills, but turned around so he couldn't catch a good glimpse of them.

He tried to appear insulted by the suggestion. "This is ridiculous. That is my money. I got paid in cash, doing odd jobs."

"From who?"

"Around." Will had been in tighter spots and since this was neither Wonderland nor The Enchanted Forest, he knew the laws in this land gave him some protection."This is America, I don't have to answer. I'm innocent. You have to prove him guilty." He smirked in triumphed.

"Gladly." The old woman gave a smug smile and Will felt a knot form in his stomach. "Let's go inside."

The small group went back and stood by the register. Granny took a few bills out. "When I got money from the bank earlier this morning, I noticed that the $20 bills had some doodles in the bottom right corner on the back. I was going to return it, but the teller assured me they were still legal tender." She laid some of them on the counter and pointed at the drawings. While not overtaking the bill, they were hard to miss. "My bills seemed to have been in the same batch - when you flip the whole stack in your hand you get a sort of animation."

Emma and Will stared at the money. Putting down what Granny took from Will, the Sheriff placed all the bills together and saw the 'action' drawn for herself. It was a man jumping into a pond and getting out. Crudely done, but it made its point.

Will was caught.

Emma looked at Granny. "Do you want to press charges?"

"I'll let Mr. Scarlet decide."

"Then I say let's drop this incident and let bygones be bygones." He quipped.

"That's not what I meant boy. Arresting you won't do either one of us any good - I hate courts and legal fees and you seem to have too much time on your hands. I would be willing to drop the charges IF you would help me close and get some work done around the diner."

It sounded awful, not the manual labor - he was certainly used to that, but he hated the idea of having someone telling him what to do. Still he had any other option. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Great I'll see you Monday night, eight sharp."

So he came and now here he was cleaning like some sculley maid.

Granny chuckled as she came in to inspect his work. "Is that sulking scowl burned into your face or something special for me?"

"I don't recall a smile or conversation being part of our deal."

"They aren't, but it certainly makes the work go by quicker." She lifted her eyebrow. "Speaking of faster, you've not only mopped faster than Ruby, I dare say you've done a more thorough job with it."

"Does that mean I can get off early?"

Granny patted him on the back."Nice try. I still need you to clean the kitchen. It's been awhile since we've done a thorough cleaning. Hopefully with you moving the bigger appliances, we can get it done."

"Are you kidding me? What if I break my back?" Will complained.

"You won't. Ruby and I have done it before, but my age is making it harder for me to help her. You and I should be able to knock this out quickly."

"Do you intend on working me to death these two weeks?"

"Quit complaining boy. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish." Her voice was firm, but encouraging."You might even find that you enjoy work."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Will felt his father's firm hands shaking him awake. "Come on son, we have some work to do."

The almost nine year old boy saw the moon still out in the night sky. He groggily responded. "Not again." Over the past couple of months, he and his father had been getting up in the middle of the night to meet some of Percy and Liam, local hunters. The men provided game that Will's father bought, butchered, and sold.

The boy had no idea why the three men had started adding these night time trades to their usual routine. The only explanation he could think of was that his father was looking at having some extra coin when the new baby arrived.

Will was secretly hoping for a younger brother as some of his friends in the village bragged about how wonderful it was to have a tiny person to torment and tease. Still, he didn't think it was worth losing his sleep, so he voiced his displeasure with being recruited yet again. "I still have a few hours before I have to wake up."

"Not tonight. We've got work to do. Get up now!"

Sleepily, Will obeyed and got dressed. His cloak served him well as the night was dreadfully cold.

Instead of bringing their cart with the carcasses, the men were on horses, with a fearful look in their eyes.

Will's father spoke first. "Where's the game? What's wrong?"

Liam got off his horse and spoke too softly for the boy to eavesdrop. Whatever it was, it was serious enough to worry the butcher.

Without any further explanation, his father placed his hand on Will's shoulder. "Go back to bed boy."

"Aren't you going back with me?""

"I have some business to take care, I should be back in another hour. No need for you to wait in the cold." Gratefully, Will ran back home, having no idea how drastically his life would change.

* * *

All three men were charged with illegally hunting and butchering King George's quarry. Will's father was tried, convicted, and sent to King George for punishment (which years later he discovered was a beheading) all in the span of a few days.

The only mercy extended to Richard Scarlett was a day's reprieve from his sentence so he could see the newborn daughter, named Jules, his wife bore him.

Taking advantage of the situation, the butcher's guild offered a pittance for the shop. The greedy vultures stripped it bare and when it was all said and done, his mother could only afford the smallest of homes and land just outside the village.

Will no longer had his own room, instead he shared with his mother and his new baby sister.

He was now the man of the house and he vowed he would take whatever honest work he could to provide for his family.


End file.
